The apparent rise of police corruption and brutality in the US over the last few years has produced a public cry for police accountability. The perceived uptick in police killings recently is mostly the result of cell phone video cameras- although there has been a slight rise, according to the New York Times. From that article:

“But determining the prevalence of such killings is no easy matter. The use of force by the police — against minorities and whites alike — is so poorly monitored that there is no precise accounting of how many citizens are killed, much less their ethnicity or other crucial details.”

There have been cries heard in the halls of congress for reform and more “policing of the police”. More than a dozen states are considering new legislation aimed at increasing police accountability in the wake of violent, deadly incidents in Missouri, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and now Baltimore, Maryland.Continue reading →